German Potato Salad
My kind of meat & potatoes meal - brats & potato salad. Specifically German Potato Salad, because it is the cream of the crop when it comes to picnic sides. Potatoes & bacon & chives & nooooo mayo. It’s everything I could every want in a potato salad.
One of my favorite fun facts about Jordan is he is a full blown mustard lover. Former mustard of the month member and all. The point being we always have at least 3 different types of gourmet mustard on deck at all times, and he thoroughly looks forward to any meal where he gets to do dust off his favorite condiment and facilitate his own mustard taste test. Brats are the perfect vessel for just that, so I make them just to put all the fun mustards we have in-house out on the table and dive into our stash.
Brats are the easiest thing to make. I always just bake them or put Jordan in charge of throwing them on the grill, which leaves me with time to focus on the perfect side. German potato salad is always my go-to. Warm and tender potatoes that are tossed in a warm, onion vinaigrette. It’s like taking tender potatoes to toss them in a sauce pan with a warm sauce helps the sauce permeate each potato, & making that tangy flavor real sea into this salad. The chives and bacon just add a little bit of color, a little bit of crunch, and just keep this version of potato salad fresh and bright instead of heavy and creamy.
This potato salad is just my favorite for a starchy fix, and the perfect vessel to create a German date night here at home. One rooted in mustard tasting nonetheless.
For the Potato Salad
6 slices of bacon
2 lb yukon gold potatoes
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Dijon
Salt & pepper
3 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Start by placing a large pot of water over high heat. Add in the potatoes and bring the water to boil. Let the potatoes boil for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the potatoes from the boiling water and let them sit on a cutting board.
Next move to making the bacon. Place the bacon in a large saute pan over medium heat - laying them in a single layer in the pan, cooking the bacon until it’s crisp. Remove the cooked bacon and set on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Reduce the heat to medium low.
Add the onion to the saute pan used to cook the bacon, and cook in the bacon grease. Cook the onions until they’re translucent and softened - about 10-15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add in the vinegar, sugar, Dijon, and a pinch of salt & . pepper. Whisk to get all ingredients combined, and bring the liquid to a simmer, letting it simmer for 3-5 minutes. Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, and toss the potatoes into the onions while keeping the heat on medium high. Toss in the chives and let the potatoes cook in sauce for 3-5 minutes. Remove the potatoes and top with the crumbled bacon. You can keep it warm in a 200 degree oven until you’re ready to eat.